St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 30

i i ititT i 1" i i "it i i i i i ii i i i i i i i i i i i 2C Oct. 11, 1974 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Reversal Of Form Would Be A Happy Triple Reverse bob broeg sports editor 1 If the recent remarkable reversals of form held up for the next few days in sports, Missouri would beat Nebraska tomorrow, Los Angeles would sweep Oakland and the football Cardinals would shut out Dallas Sunday. None of those things is likely to occur, of course. The Cornhuskers are favored by three to four touchdowns to whip the Tigers.

The Cowboys, who haven't been blanked since the Big Red did it one night four years ago, are a slight choice over the cleated Cards. And the same profes- sional oddsmakers figure the A's and Dodgers to be as even as Stephen in what would seem to be a long World 'Series. But the way things have been going lately, unpredictably and unbelievably, it shouldn't be surprising if Mizzou's Ray Smith, who really doesn't pass that well, outthrew Nebraska's lefthanded humdinger, Dave Humm. And, by the same illogical developments of the last dizzy days in sports, the Big Red would run over Bob Lolly as if famed No. 74 were a freckled sissy and stop Calvin Hill as if the former Yale halfback were a Sunday school teacher.

Again, in keeping with the crazy way games have gone lately, it shouldn't be surprising if, say, Ken Holtz-man of Vida Blue, starting for Oakland, threw a no-hitter in the Series opener and lost. Heck, didn't the winning A's get only one hit in the fourth game of the American League championship series? Didn't Pittsburgh use a strikeout at bat, not on the mound to win its way into the playoffs? Didn't Missouri show one of its most impressive defenses ever to hand high-scoring Arizona State its first shutout in nine years one Saturday and then yield a staggering ILA Youth Vs A's Veto ries was as close as a plate umpire and his ball-and-strike indicator. And, incidentally, one St Louisan did another a disservice when Earl Weaver, brooding Baltimore boss, tried to pin part of the fourth-game blame on arbiter Dave Phillips. Phillips, an excellent basketball official who also was voted by American League ball players as one of the top umpires in the league, is quite competent And when Elrod Hendricks said he felt Phillips missed only two pitches out of the many he called Wednesday, the Orioles' catcher was paying the official a considerable compliment. As Branch Rickey would say, it's not the rabbit in the ball, but the quail in the pitchers, that often puts toeplate talent in trouble.

And the veteran Mike Cuellar was too timid about coming in with the ball even at the risk of giving up pivotal bases on balls, which he did. As the center field television camera showed, giving the viewer a much better look than Weaver had from the side look of the Orioles' dugout, umpire Phillips caught far more corners with a sharp eye than pitcher Cuellar did with his "wish" pitch. Catfish, The Hunter Mike wished for strikes, but didn't throw them, and then, as television commentator Maury Wills noted properly, pitching rival Jim (Catfish) Hunter contributed one of the remarkable oddities of recent days. When the bashful-batting Baltimores put their first man in scoring position and Rich Coggins lifted a high foul behind the plate, catcher Ray Fosse turned the wrong way. Most pitchers would have stood out there as immobile as a cigar-store Indian or, at best, would have wrung their hands as helplessly as a silent movie heroine in distress.

But Hunter raced off the mound and well into foul territory for the catch and then retired Paul Blair to end the inning. Of such heads-up play are pennants and playoffs won. I'd like to see Los Angeles win the Series, but not nearly so much as Missouri surprise everybody at Nebraska and the Big Red the Nevada oddsmakers. Because of experienced Oakland winners such as Hunter, however, the Dodgers' job will be most difficult. Except for the New York Yankees, who won four world championships in a row one time (1936-39) and five another (1949-53), no city or franchise ever has won more than two successive Series.

The A's have the best chance since a hawknosed, wide-shouldered rookie Redbird retread named Pepper Martin broke their backs and a bid for a third straight title 43 years ago when Philadelphia was in the American League, and Oakland, like Los Angeles, played in the Pacific Coast League. I'll pick L.A., but not boldly enough to put my money where my mouth is. 59 points the next week against Wisconsin? And didn't Dallas, expected to win the National Football Conference's Eastern Division title, lose three of its first four games? And St. Louis, expected to fight New York hand to hand for last place, win its first four? Meet Mr. Lilly These are, indeed, daffy times, friends, but not so unusual that those guys with the green eyeshades out there in Las Vegas would be suckered into thinking either that the Cowboys are dead or that Calvin Is over the bill or that Lilly should be wearing one.

Sure, Dallas lost three out of four, but the Cowboys played poorly only against the Giants. They've got a nasty habit of turning into rattlesnakes the second half of a season. And right now down there in Big they're grumbling over their barbecues and baked beans because they felt Fred Cox's game-winning field goal for Minnesota In the final second last Sunday was outside, not inside, an upright. The betting commissioners, those unsentimental cusses who don't give a darn or a tinker's dam that the Big Red haven't won a championship since Bill Bidwill was In knee britches, know that elusive quarterbacks such as Roger Staubach and Fran Tarkenton have been as hard as quivering gelatin for St Louis to tackle. As for that freckled 35-year-old fella who plays defen-sive tackle for Dallas, well, the Vikings' talented Tarkenton summed him up when Francis said quite respectfully last Sunday night: "Mr.

Lilly sure was good today. I like to see the oldti-mers play good, and he sure did today." Every day and every way. And if you and we have been impressed, quite properly, by the Big Red's unwillingness to yield points this season, the fact is that Dallas's Doomsday Defense, led by Mr. Lilly, hasn't been involved at all in what, figuring it as the oddsmakers do, has been an early-season slump rather than a demise. Against Dallas before the sellout crowd Sunday, I hope the football Cardinals will have a bit more good luck than their baseball counterparts had at the finish.

Or, putting it another way, I certainly hope that neither Dallas nor the division sleeper, Philadelphia, has the good bounce of the ball that went Pittsburgh's way in baseball at the wire. With a bow to the Buccos ability to come from behind time and again the last couple of months in the regular season, the Pirates played the National League playoff as if surprised and relieved to get that far. The team that won nine out of 12 from Los Angeles in the regular season, including six for six at home, performed as if in the division celebration there had been too much Four Roses at Three Rivers. By contrast, the American League championship se FROM PAGE ONE credit day after day for being the best team in baseball," 1 said Jackson, the American League's most valuable er a year ago. "Maybe this year, if we beat the Dodgers, people will finally give us our due.

three world cham-i pionships in a row is about as good as a team can do." Dick Green, the A's' veteran second baseman, sound- ed almost bellicose. "They've (the Dodgers) been popping off all year," he said. "I don't know if it's cockiness or confidence, but they's sure got it. Hell, thev were even talking about the World Series while they were still playing the Pirates (in the National League playoff). Well, we'll see.

Most of us think that Baltimore is just as good as any team in the Na- tional League." 'We'll just wait and see," said Davey Lopes, who stole 59 bases for the Dodgers during the regular season and had three more thefts against the a great ball club but it's not my job to pop off the way they do. Besides, it's poor professionalism to knock another team's record, which is what they've done." Jackson, who hit .289 while belting 29 home runs and 'driving in 93 runs this season, thinks the A's have the mo- mentum building for something bigger than just three straight world titles. "This is a young team, although we've been through a lot already," the big slugger noted. "But we have a at four and five world championships in a row. The Dodgers took exception to remarks attributed to the A's that they build their 102-60 record because of the presence of the lowly San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in their division.

Dodgers outfielder-catcher Joe Ferguson said, "They shouldn't bad-mouth our division what about theirs?" "Really I'd like to know who they've beaten to get to the Series. There's no way their division can compare to ours. Besides Cincinnati, we had to beat teams like Atlanta and Houston. I'll match those teams against any in Oakland's division any day." Whatever, Ken Holtzman, a St. Louis-born lefthander, will pitch for the A's tomorrow against righthander Andy Spirits Cut 3, Sign Fryer Messersmith, one of the few pitchers ever to win 20 games in each major league.

The game will be carried in St. Louis on KSD-TV and KSD radio. The running gag here is that the A's have to be the favorites because they have two managers to the Dodgers' one. There is a rumor floating about, however, that the A's dynamic duo of Finley and Alvin Dark are heading for Splitsville. And it may be that Dark will pull the old Dick Williams fadeaway, stealing into the darkness with his Bible under his arm.

There is a report that Finley offered Dark a new contract, but that the manager has put off the owner for the time being. A's coach Bobby Winkles, the former California1 Angels pilot, is hovering in the wings. There also has been the suggestion that the Dodgers' 62-year-old manager, Walter Alston, may be eased into retirement after 21 years on the job. An LA writer inquired if Alston was ready to spend his summers puttering in the yard at home in Darrtown, 0. "What for?" was Alston's reply.

"What could I do that would be better?" In the off-season he rides horses, plays golf, shoots trap and skeet, plays pool and works in his wood shop. He also rides motorcycles. "I have a Honda 500," said Alston, "which has four cylinders and a Honda 175 with two cylinders, which is smaller and not as powerful. But there is the possibility, at least, that both pennant winners could have new managers next season. Tom La-sorda, one of Alston's coaches, long has been considered the heir apparent in LA.

A big question for the series is the availability of Jackson, the A's Mr. Muscle. He was doing the designated-hit-ter bit in the American League playoff victory over Baltimore because of a pulled hamstring. Sorry, Charlie, there's no DH allowed in the World Series. Jackson had a doctor's appointment yesterday to determine whether he will play tomorrow.

"I'll play Saturday if my name is in the lineup, even in a wheelchair," Jackson had said Wednesday after his team wrapped up the AL championship. "Hey, I've had 19 hamstrings," Jackson told newsmen. "I can tell you exactly what will happen when I go to the man's office. He'll tell me to get up on the table and then he'll poke around my leg some. He'll ask me how the leg feels and I'll tell him, 'Fine, just Finley said the fate of Jackson would be in the hands of physicians.

"You're not going to decide if Reggie will play," Finley told Dark. "I'm not going to decide and Reggie's not. The doctors will make the decision." Bills Beat Santa Clara Uuu FROM PAGE ONE opponent for 15 rounds and be sure of winning," said Bil-likens coach Harry Keough. "Sometimes you can dominate the play, territorially, but unless you can take advantage and score goals, get a knockout so to speak, you might not win. Tonight, we had our knockout punch." Keough, however, makes sure there is more than just goals and corner kicks in the St.

Louis University soccer program. "We usually make about two big trips a year," he explained. "I've been fortunate enoueh to have visited The Spirits of St. Louis reduced their roster to the one over the American Basketball Association limit of 11 players yesterday by releasing guards Allie Mc-. Guire, Doug Richards and Jeff Halliburton.

Earlier yesterday, the Spirits signed 6-foot-3 guard Bernie Fryer, who recently was released by the Portland almost all parts of theis country, and the worm, so know the places of interest and I like to show my play tm ers the sights. "The university doesn't Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. The Spirits' roster now includes centers Marvin Barnes and Tom Owens; forwards Joe Caldwell, Gus Gerard, Maurice Lucas, James (Fly) Williams and Dennis Wuycik and guards Jim Foster, Gene Littles, Milt Williams, Steve Jones and Fryer. Two more games remain on the Spirits' exhibition schedule, tomorrow night against San Diego in Tucson, and Monday night with Memphis at Ada, Okla. Their regular season will begin next Friday night at The Arena against Memphis.

It was also announced yesterday that KMOX radio will broadcast the Spirits' games during the 1974-75 season. In making the announcement, KMOX radio sports director Jack Buck said Bob Costas would be the play-by-play announcer. Costas, a graduate of Syracuse University, has been the play-by-play announcer, for WSYR and WAER in Jackson was examined by Dr. Robert Kerlan yesterday in Los Angeles. The results? "We'll have to wait and see how he looks in Friday's workout," said Dark.

The unconventional A's, winners despite their quarreling and snarling, certainly have the overwhelming advantage in terms of World Series experience. The Dodgers' Tricycle Corps has only three players who know the pressure of Series competiton. The Dodgers' starting lineup averages 26 years of age. On Sunday, the A's will send another lefthander, Vida Blue, against the Dodgers' Don Sutton, winner of 15 of his last 16 decisions, including two playoff games. So far this season, the Dodgers have a 28-16 record against southpaws.

Some are calling this the "Freeway Series" because it's a 390-mile drive from Oakland to Los Angeles down. California's heartland along Interstate 5. This is the first time in 18 years that one state has boasted both league pennant winners. The last time was in 1956, when the old Brookly Dodgers and the New York Yankees met in the World Series. Meanwhile, the baseball world waits and wonders what will Oakland's Weird Bunch do in the World Series? And what will be more interesting what they do on the field or off the field? UMSL's Berres Gets Golf Post Larry Berres, assistant athletic director and golf coach at the University of Missouri-St.

Louis, has been named an area consultant by the National Golf Foundation for 1974-75. The part-time position as an instructor includes duties such as serving as an instructor at workshops, consulting on film projects and contributing to publications. The appointment was announced by Lorraine Abbott, director of educational services for the National Golf Foundation. exactly have to entertain the players, I don't mean that, but I think we can make a trip like this so much more enjoyable if we get out and see what is here." Since arriving in Seattle on Wednesday, Keough has taken his players to Mount Rainier a round trip of nearly 200 miles and to the famous Space Needle. Today, Keough planned a ferryboat excursion across Puget Sound.

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